HTC Windows Phone 8S offers great build quality

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PRICE Rs 19,260




NEW DELHI: The HTC 8S is the only mid-range Windows Phone 8 device available in India after the OS’s announcement last year. It may be a mid-range device but it still gets two thumbs up for great build quality.

The unibody construction, matte finish and the various colors should make it appealing to anyone wanting to make a style statement. The 4-inch screen has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels — similar to what other Android phones in the same price range have.

HTC has cut some corners (in the hardware) to bring the price down. It has a 1Ghz dual core processor but only 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage (though it has a microSD slot).

You will not notice any slowdown or lags in day-to-day usage with calling, texting and social networking — just make sure that you do not have too many apps running in the background.

The rear 5MP camera takes great photos, both in daylight as well as indoors. There is a dedicated shutter button on the side — this makes it easy to take photos and the button can also be used to launch the camera directly from the lock screen (with a long press).

However, video recording is limited to 720p HD resolution only and the quality is strictly average. The audio output from the external speaker is surprisingly loud considering the slim profile of the phone — it's good enough for a small room.

Even though the HTC 8S has a 1700mAh battery, it hardly lasted for a full day — we were expecting better. For the same price, you can also get the Samsung Galaxy Grand with a 5-inch display, Android 4.1 and better battery life.

If you are looking for a Windows Phone 8 device, you should also consider Nokia's Lumia 820. The Lumia is slightly more expensive, but gives you a larger 4.3-inch screen, better hardware, front camera and better rear camera.